Difficulty of Slab Climbs

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adam d

climber

Mar 13, 2009 - 02:31am PT

easy...but bolt free and ~6 pitches of fun.

Empress on Chapel Pond Slab, Adirondacks

Tork

climber

Yosemite

Mar 13, 2009 - 12:17pm PT

aldude

climber

Monument Manor

Mar 13, 2009 - 04:43pm PT

New Blood 12a - Pieshop :

photo by Blitzo

DJMac

Big Wall climber

Bonedale, CO

Mar 13, 2009 - 04:48pm PT

I had a thing for slab climbing. Preferred them fresh, but didn't have any problem clipping others tiny bolts that much.

South Platte still has a lot of freshies waiting.

Wade Icey

Trad climber

www.alohashirtrescue.com

Mar 19, 2009 - 06:31pm PT

"Bottom line is if people demand more climbing sh#t, they'll bump it."
bump

Wade Icey

Trad climber

www.alohashirtrescue.com

Mar 25, 2009 - 12:39pm PT

whole lotta sending goin' on

Studly

Trad climber

Aug 24, 2009 - 02:19pm PT

Bump for a great topic!

Fritz

Trad climber

Hagerman, ID

Dec 16, 2009 - 08:24pm PT

I like slabs, except for the cold snowy-white ones.

E. Ridge Bugaboo Spire: Slab avalanche below, and slabby rock up high!

oldtopangalizard

Social climber

Dec 16, 2009 - 10:30pm PT

Bluering,
Good one over there at Hall Of Horrors. Thirty+ years ago I used to run up that Klingon climb and the one next to it (?). After some years sure enough, I took off, half paying attention, and next thing you know 'sh#t, where am I'. I rallied, but was reminded, any climb without cracks you best keep it cool, 5.7 or not.

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Dec 16, 2009 - 10:45pm PT

gonna be a whole lotta slabbin' going on at woodson this march. can't wait like "whoa!"

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

Leading Edge of North American Plate

Dec 16, 2009 - 11:51pm PT

Tom Rogers on Plutonics
Cornucopia, Derrington Washington
Crest Jewel
Shagadellic
Joshua Tree
Fingertips
Ciebola
Professional dancer Paris Wages on her 1st climb in Tuolumne, Hogwash

MH2

climber

Dec 17, 2009 - 01:40am PT

While preparing the following, tuolumne tradster put up a Darrington route, among many other fine images, so

Bill Thompson on the Quinn the Conehead Pre-Memorial Route

When I hear slab from a climber I hear a Sport climber talking because they appropriated the term to toss all non-overhanging face climbing into one convenient bin.

I prefer to think of friction and thin face, the angle depending on whatever you can get away with. Pure friction exists, but only when the angle is low or when the crystals get so small you can't waste time scanning for the biggest amongst the thousands of possibilities.

I'm gonna post up a bunch of stuff on Squamish because that is where Mighty Hiker is from.

a broad view of Squamish slab

Matt M from Seattle mentioned Dream Symphony, a link of Dream On and Unfinished Symphony. The climbers shown below are in the upper corner of Unfinished Symphony. Dream On is to the right, but the first 3 pitches only take you to the level of the belayer. Not many continue with Dream On. There is rumored to be 5.12 friction toward the top. Another route, Anxiety State, exits the corner leftwards a bit above the leader.

Looking down Unfinished Symphony from where the leader was above.

Friction on Anxiety State above the escape from Unfinished Symphony

shoes after Anxiety State

Tom Madden on low angle friction to the right of Diedre

Darren Melnychuk on Dancing in the Light to the left of Diedre

Jeff R on a neglected slab climb, Java Jive

couple of strong climbers about to do the 13 slab pitch coz freed the Grand Wall with

and as he speculates, there is potential at Squamish which the kids have been showing us how on

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08f/newswire-stanhope-frees-cannabis-details

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Dec 17, 2009 - 01:59am PT

Bump for coolness. Also because I enjoy slab climbing.

The Red Roper guide considered Coonyard to Rim via Oasis the most
sustained free climb in the country -- and it probably was given the
footwear available.

I did my first Apron climbs in the late 1960's in Kronhoffers. Then I
got a pair of RR's and climbed things like the Regular Route on Patio,
spending pretty much the entire time terrified. Climbing now in modern
high friction rubber has changed the technique -- and the fear factor --
but I still have fun.

Thanks to those who reanimated this thread (and, of course, to
Anders for starting it), and thanks particularly for all those who
posted such wonderful pictures.

John

Karl Baba

Trad climber

Yosemite, Ca

Dec 17, 2009 - 02:22am PT

I have a particular affinity and love for slab climbing. So meditative and mindful without the huffing and puffing.

Scary oftentimes but that's part of the allure as well.

In Yosemite it can go on and on.

Peace

Karl

Halfway up Hitchhiker looking down pitch 20

sac

Trad climber

spuzzum

Dec 17, 2009 - 09:56pm PT

Friction Bump!
Good stuff MH2!!
A.

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Dec 17, 2009 - 10:37pm PT

so ready for some sweet mt. woodson slabbin'

Jingy

Social climber

Flatland, Ca

Dec 17, 2009 - 11:06pm PT

Mighty -
I was wondering why this was the case.

Slab climbing, is great for the kids to learn... Those traits you mention are good things to have, as we never know when that will come in handy....

But the fact of the matter is (at least for myself) is that slab climbing, especially the harder grades, can be painful if there is a slip... Falling on the sparsely protected granite means leaving behind plenty of the stuff that covers our bodies... Calves burning, feet bulging the seams of my shoes, toes pounding with pain (possibly from ill-fitting shoes) are the things I remember most when I think of the slab....

No thanks... I don't need to revisit those youthful days.....

But you are correct.. I think it is a lost art.. technical skills are much needed with the slab climbing.. finding that balance between pulling with the hands, and pushing with the feets is a precise art, that is/has been lost in the last 15 years or so....

Post Haircut Edit: I got back to the computer after posting and reviewed some of the pictures of the slabs y'all are climbing.....

Beautiful, fun looking, and great photos... I thought the picture of the shoes was looking down on some rocks, or like a poorly manufactured boob-job...

Great stuff